Improvement in manure-forks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH G. RANKIN AND JACOB G. RANKIN, OF CONESTOGA CENTRE, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MANURE-FORKS.

Speciication'forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,417, dated August 25, 1874 application filed 4 July 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that we, JOSEPH G. BANKIN and J A0013 G. RANKIN, residing at Oouestoga Centre, in the county of Lancaster, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Manure-Forks, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to a class of manureforks Which have diverging side beams, with a central and a cross beam and handles. The novelty consists in the construction of a notched bar held by a pivot atv one end, spring and lever connection, with the fourpron ged fork.

The accompanying .drawings illustrate this hook, in which- Figure lis a side elevation with the fork in position; Fig. 2, a top view with the hinge pronged hook turned under. I

The dotted lines indicate the prongs thrown back to dislodge the load.

A brief explanation will. enable any one skilled in the art to make and use the same.

Thetriangularframe-workof the side beams A- A, central draft-beam B, and cross-beam C, with the handles D and supports E, have much the appearance of a small cultivaton On the under side of the ends of the diverging side beams A there is a plate, G, with an eye forming a hinge for the four-pron ged hook F H. These prongs are united to the crosshead F, which is centrally provided with a bent lever, I, standing up and turned back, as shown in Fig. 1. There is a vibrating latch-plate, M, secured at one end by a pivotbolt at n, and passes under a keeper, O, on the cross-piece O, and extends back beyond the top of the hook. This vibrating latch M Y has a notch in the widened head, which receives the vertical arm of the lever I, and holds it in a vertical position firmly, to prevent it from shifting by accident. There is a spring, S, attached to the head'of spring-latch M, carried back and so bent as to have its bearing under the keeper-O on the cross-piece O. Thus the pronged fork will grasp and hold or drag out a large load of manure by means of a horse hitched to the clevis K on the end of the center beam. When it is desirable to dislodge the load a push of the foot or jerk ot' the hand will dislodge the notched latch-plate M, and allow the hook to turn back or straighten out behind, but it is easily turned under forl dragging the implement to the barn or a distance, in that position performing the funetion of runners, as shown in Fig. 2.

We are aware that various .devices are employed--such as spring-bolts, levers, and co'm- JOSEPH G. RANKIN. JACOB G. RANKIN.

Witnesses:

ADAM BORTZFIELD, JOHN PRIEs. 

